The use of musical instrument reeds which are made of moisture absorbing fibrous material are prone to becoming excessively moist, due to ordinary use and consequent subjection to saliva. Accordingly, it is preferred that a musician retain several reeds which can be alternated during the course of one sitting of playing, and thus the reed can be utilized without excessive moisture or other objectionable conditions. Further, it is already known that once a reed is wet, even from only ordinary use, then the reed is subject to warping and splintering.
Attempts to resolve the problems of reed moisture and warpage or distortion result in the provision of reed holders which receive a plurality of reeds and which endeavor to hold the reed in aeratable or firm condition. One such example of a reed holder is found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,978 wherein a plurality of reeds are held in a holder arranged with pockets for receiving the reeds and with a spring clip which snaps over the thin end of each reed. In that arrangement, the reed holder is commonly made of a contaminable, such as rustable, material of metal or the like, and the pockets actually tend to impair aeration or drying of the reeds, and the spring clips bear down on the reeds in a manner to actually indent or damage the moist reed.
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide an improved musical instrument reed storage assembly wherein one or more reeds can be held in an open or aeratable condition and with the reed or reeds held in a flat condition so that it can dry in the desired planar or flat configuration.
Still further, the present invention provides the aforesaid type of assembly which is arranged for receiving a plurality of reeds and with the reeds being identified on the base piece of the assembly so that the reeds can be used in sequence and thus the musician can be assured that the longest drying reed or the reed for a certain instrument is to be used. Still further, the base piece of the assembly for this invention is arranged with a surface which receives either pencil or ink writing thereon, and thus the entire assembly can carry indicia, such as the owner's name or the identification of the instrument related with those particular reeds held in the assembly.
Still further, the aforesaid assembly of this invention, is arranged with an elastic band which surrounds a base piece and which extends over the reeds and is of an elastomeric material which will not at all indent, contaminate, or otherwise damage the reed, and the reed can actually be slid under the band or out from under the band for insertion and removal relative to the assembly.
Generally speaking, it will therefore be understood that the assembly as aforesaid is arranged with musical instrument reeds which may be of a cane fiber construction and which must therefore be delicately handled and which should be retained in a fully aerating position and in a completely safe but securely flat condition while drying. In accomplishing these objectives, the assembly includes a base piece which is of a moisture impervious material and which will not become contaminated but which in and of itself can be washed, and thus a firm plastic material is recommended and utilized herein, and, further, the elastic band holding the reed in the flattened position on the base piece has aerating openings and actually will be spaced off the base piece, by virture of the reed being inserted between the band and the base piece, and thus full aeration of the reed is assured while the reed is also being held in a firm and secure flattened position, as desired.
In summary, and in addition to the above, the assembly of this invention has the following characteristics and features:
(1) The assembly will receive and hold several reeds of various sizes.
(2) The assembly protects and straightens the delicate and sensitive reed tips.
(3) The assembly is arranged with one or more holding bands which permit the movable pressure point against the reed to straighten the reed at the points needed and desired.
(4) The assembly permits the reed to naturally air-dry, and thus there are not unpleasant odors or mildew or molding effects.
(5) The assembly includes a numbering or indicia system which permits the musician to alternate reeds or to use them in sequence for most desirable use and for longer reed life.
(6) The assembly has a writable area for autographing by each musician for easy identification of the assembly.
(7) The assembly assures that a musician will have at least several playable reeds at all times.
(8) The assembly has its base piece made of heat-resistant plastic, preferrably, and it is easily cleaned.
The aforesaid enumerated points are summaries of the previously-mentioned features and characteristics and are some additions thereto but are not necessarily all inclusive.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings.